Methane emission characteristics and its relations with plant and soil parameters under irrigated rice ecosystem of northeast India

Methane flux from rice varieties grown under two identical soils of Assam were monitored. In the first experiment, variety Jaya and GRT was grown in sandy loam soil of Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam and the second experiment was conducted with variety Jyotiprasad and Bishnuprasad in sandy to sandy loam soils of Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zones of Assam. Methane flux recorded from variety Jyotiprasad and GRT was higher compared to variety Bishnuprasad and Jaya. The seasonal integrated flux recorded was 10.76 g m⁻², 9.98 g m⁻², 9.74 g m⁻² and 11.31 g m⁻² for variety GRT, Jaya, Bishnuprasad and Jyotiprasad, respectively. All the varieties exhibited two methane peaks one at maximum tillering stage and other at panicle initiation stage of the crop. Crop growth parameters such as leaf number, number of tillers and leaf area index (LAI) showed strong positive relationship with total methane flux. In both the experiments it was calculated that CH₄ emission was substantially influenced by crop phenology and growth. This study emphasise the relationship of different growth parameters with methane emission.     

Photosynthesis inhibition of soybean leaves by insecticides

Field grown soybean cv. Williams-82 plants were sprayed with malathion or carbaryl formulations at 30, 60 and 90 days after planting. Net photosynthesis (PN) was measured in the control (water-sprayed) and pesticide-treated plants, 1, 3 and 7 days after treatment, with a LICOR 6200 Portable Photosynthesis System. The pesticide-treated plants showed a significant reduction (24% with malathion and 20% with carbaryl) in PN after the first application. After the 60-day spray treatment PN suppression on day 1 and day 3 after treatment was the same as after the first application; but PN reached the same level as that of the water-sprayed control 7 days after treatment. After the 90-day treatment no change in PN was observed with the pesticide-treated plants compared to the control. These data indicate that malathion and carbaryl formulations may exert a detrimental influence on soybean physiology.     

Changes in the activities of some digestive enzymes of Channa punctatus, exposed chronically to mercuric chloride

The effect of a chronic exposure to sublethal concentration of mercuric chloride (0.3 mg/l) on the activities of some enzymes in the digestive system of the teleost fish Channa punctatus was examined after 15 and 30 days of treatment. Glucose-6-phosphatase was significantly inhibited in the intestine and pyloric caeca. No marked alterations were observed in the activities of maltase and lactase except for elevation in maltase activity and inhibition in lactase activity in the intestine and pyloric caeca after 15 days of treatment. Three peptidases (aminotripeptidase, glycylglycine dipeptidase and glycyl-1-leucine dipeptidase) showed decreased activities in all parts of the digestive system. A decrease was also observed in the activity of lipase except for the stomach where inhibition after 15 days was insignificant. The results indicate that the activities of all the enzymes examined are inhibited in intestine and pyloric caeca and digestion of proteins and lipids may be more affected by mercury than the digestion of some carbohydrates.     

Tillage and nutrient source effects on water quality and corn grain yield from a flat landscape

Beneficial effects of leaving residue at the soil surface are well documented for steep lands, but not for flat lands that are drained with surface inlets and tile lines. This study quantified the effects of tillage and nutrient source on tile line and surface inlet water quality under continuous corn (Zea mays L.) from relatively flat lands (<3%). Tillage treatments were either fall chisel or moldboard plow. Nutrient sources were either fall injected liquid hog manure or spring incorporated urea. The experiment was on a Webster-Canisteo clay loam (Typic Endoaquolls) at Lamberton, MN. Surface inlet runoff was analyzed for flow, total solids, NO(3)-N, NH(4)-N, dissolved P, and total P. Tile line effluent was analyzed for flow, NO(3)-N, and NH(4)-N. In four years of rainstorm and snowmelt events there were few significant differences (p < 0.10) in water quality of surface inlet or tile drainage between treatments. Residue cover minimally reduced soil erosion during both snowmelt and rainfall runoff events. There was a slight reduction in mineral N losses via surface inlets from manure treatments. There was also a slight decrease (p = 0.025) in corn grain yield from chisel-plow plots (9.7 Mg ha(-1)) compared with moldboard-plow plots (10.1 Mg ha(-1)). Chisel plowing (approximately 30% residue cover) alone is not sufficient to reduce nonpoint source sediment pollution from these poorly drained flat lands to the extent (40% reduction) desired by regulatory agencies.     

MODELING INFILTRATION WITH VARYING HYDRAULIC CONDUCTWITY UNDER SIMULATED RAINFALL CONDITIONS1

ABSTRACT: Physically-based models are extensively used to simulate the infiltration process under varied field conditions. Most models are based on the deterministic nature of input parameters related to the flow process (such as hydraulic conductivity). These models yield poor predictions of infiltration rates because they do not include the field-scale variations of flow parameters. The paper presents an approach for integrating the field-scale variability of hydraulic conductivity with an infiltration model to simulate infiltration under the rainfall conditions. A model describing the spatial structure of hydraulic conductivity has been developed using stochastic techniques. The stochastic structure of hydraulic conductivity was then incorporated in the Green-Ampt and Mein-Larson infiltration model. The model outputs on the instantaneous infiltration rates and cumulative infiltration were evaluated using the field infiltration data measured under simulated rainfall conditions. The results show that the combined model is capable of rep. resenting the instantaneous infiltration rates and cumulative infiltration of the study soils. The model may, therefore, be used to simulate the rainfall infiltration process for spatially-variable soils under the field conditions.     

Performance of seed germination and growth of Vicia faba L. in fly ash amended soil

The performance of Vicia faba L. in soil amended by different concentrations of fly ash has been studied. The parameters considered are seed germination, growth behaviour and nodulation frequency of the plant. Results revealed that while fly-ash amendment to the soil improved the growth performance at initial stages with application of lower concentrations, it was inhibitory at higher exposure concentrations. Although there was no difference in survival rates, but the seedling growth was reduced in comparison to control plants. Fly ash delayed the nodulation as lesser number of nodules was recorded at higher amendments. Results suggested feasibility of growing V. faba in fly ash contaminated area.     

Follicovitellosum indicum,a new trematode,found in the fish Belone belone

A new trematode, collected in 1971 from Ratnagiri, India, is described as Follicovitellosum indicum sp. nov. A new subfamily, Follicovitellotrematinae is created within the family Zoogonidae Odhner, 1911, to receive the new genus Follicovitellosum, with its genotype F. indicum. The new species is characterized by the follicularized nature of its ovary; the ovarian follicles are posttesticular. The vitellarium is further divided into several follicles which are largely in the pre-ovarian zone, but post-acetabular and posttesticular in location.     

Organic matter determination for street dust in Delhi

The organic matter of street dust is considered as one of the causes for high human mortality rate. To understand the association, the street dust samples were collected from four different localities (industrial, residential, residential–commercial, and commercial) situated in the greater Delhi area of India. The loss-on-ignition method was used to determine the organic matter (OM) content in street dust. The OM content, potassium, calcium, sulfate, and nitrate concentrations of street dust in Delhi, India is measured to understand the spatial variation. Correlation analysis, analysis of variance, and factor analysis were performed to define the sources. The dust OM level ranges from 2.63 to 10.22 %. It is found through correlation and factor analysis that OM is primarily contributed from secondary aerosol and vehicular exhaust. The OM levels suggest that the use of a residential–commercial site for commercial purposes is polluting the street dust and creating the environmental and human health problems.